Aerodyamics and "big rigs"

[Buddy]

While getting some work done at Firestone, I was perusing through the automotive magazines that they had in the waiting area. I came across this company that sells 4 products to reduce drag on 18-wheelers: here is their website: (ATDynamics - Fuel Efficiency Aerodynamic Technology for Tractor Trailers saving over 10% with TrailerTail and Side Skirts) The one that interests me the most is the TrailerTail, because a smaller version could be put on vans and SUVs like mine. Given how much gas is used by big rigs, these 4 modifications are especially important to our overall energy independence. Please look at the TrailerTail and think how a smaller version could be made.

[Bill in Houston]

It would be pretty easy to make the tail, huh? It just might not be very pretty. You could use clear material to retain visibility and allow people to see your taillights from side angles. I want to make a tail for the top of my cr-v. The sides cut off nice and sharp, but the top is a little rounded and probably doing bad things for me.

[KamperBob]

Yes these have been shown to help. I didn't understand exactly how until I got a handle on eddy currents. Now it makes perfect sense to me.

The gain is small but significant and every little bit helps. (They call 12% a dramatic improvement - you gotta love marketing folks.)

[euromodder]

Their Trailertail is essentially a crude boattail - there's plenty of people on here who've experimented with or are running a boattail.

Just about anything is better than a huge squared off rear.

[jakobnev]

Originally Posted by KamperBob

They call 12% a dramatic improvement - you gotta love marketing folks.

A 12% improvement on a big rig that does 50000miles/year is a dramatic improvement, you couldn't save that much fuel on your car no matter what you did!

[akumabito]

For interesting designs of big rigs, look no further than Luigi Colani's work:
http://www.roadtransport.com/blogs/b...lanianewTS.JPG
http://www.bangertinternational.de/c...ni_truck_2.jpg
http://www.roadtransport.com/blogs/b...aniTruck08.jpg

Straight out of some sci-fi movie, it seems..

[KamperBob]

Are you in marketing, jakobnev? (wink)

Cool pix, akumabito. I love the hungry sci-fi monster look.

[TheEnemy]

There is a local trucking company that has been using the under skirts, smooth wheel covers, and the folding boat tails for some time now (latest addition is the boat tails) They were also one of the first trucking companies that I know of that went to the larger single tire instead of the dualies. I have no idea how much fuel they save, or how cost effective these things are, but they have been in buisness for many years now.

[Bill in Houston]

We were on the road over the weekend and saw a lot of the underskirts. They were making me feel guilty, as in "c'mon Bill, even the truckers have underskirts, why don't you?" So even if I don't do a belly pan I will prolly do underskirts on the CR-V.

[winkosmosis]

I was curious what the most aerodynamic truck was so I googled, and I found this interesting thread Aerodynamic Trucks - Life on the Road – Trucking News Blog